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Nebraska Defensive Tackle Ty Robinson Listed on Mel Kiper's 2025 NFL Draft Big Board

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Austin Jacobsen | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 4:03 PM ET

Ty Robinson appears to be garnering national attention after his standout senior season.

Following his final campaign in Lincoln as part of the Nebraska football team, the former Husker defensive tackle now has his sights set on the National Football League and the 2025 NFL draft in April. Robinson earned a big boost to his draft stock on Monday, appearing on Mel Kiper's "Big Board rankings", or a projection or the draft expert's top 25 prospects available.

Robinson appeared on Kiper's Jan. 21 edition of the top prospect ranking at No. 6 at the defensive tackle position. Kiper states in his rankings that the Big Board is a "personal ranking." and not an expectation as to the spot where the player would be drafted. Robinson was selected behind fellow Big Ten Conference standouts from Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State.

Robinson has been well-regarded throughout his football career, beginning as a Top-200 national recruit out of Arizona as part of the 2019 class. He started seven of eight games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, then appeared in all of his remaining contests as a Husker featuring 60 career games - tying the Nebraska record for games played. Robinson was a key contributor for the Big Red, racking up Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in his senior campaign by the Associated Press while earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors by the Coaches and Media.

The 6-6, 310 pound defensive tackle capped off his Blackshirt tenure with a stellar 2024 season. The senior totaled 37 total tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks - all career highs. Robinson also added four pass breakups, one blocked field goal, and a safety to his campaign. He ranked third on the team in pass breakups and led Nebraska in tackles for loss and sacks. In his 48th and final career start for the Huskers, Robinson ended with four tackles including a seven-yard sack with 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup to push NU past Boston College in the 2024 Pinstripe Bowl.

Since the conclusion of his senior season, Robinson announced that he would accept an invite to play in the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl game on Feb. 1 in Mobile, Ala. The defensive tackle projects as a "two-gap end" and aims to raise his draft stock prior to the late-April NFL Draft.

Robinson's coach for the past two seasons in Lincoln has believed from his first day with Nebraska that the defensive tackle was a future professional football player.

"Ty's been absolutely dominant and he should be up for every accolade. He can play three downs in the NFL ... and his girlfriend is twice as cool as he is," Rhule said in his late-November press conference prior to the Iowa contest. Earlier in the season, Rhule gushed about the senior's relationship with the coach.

“I just think the world of him. Honestly, I just think the absolute world of him," Rhule said. "Guys like Ty Robinson are why guys like me coach, you know? Just that daily interaction, that daily relationship, and the great thing about Ty is that he lets me be me.”

“No one practices harder than Ty," Rhule said, adding more praise in his September press conference leading into a home tilt with Illinois. "Ty’s bringing that group along. What I love is that when they (Robinson and other upperclassmen) leave, their legacy will be here.”

Nebraska football would welcome as many draft selections as possible this April after being shut out of last year's draft. Nebraska has had two draft picks in each class four out of the last five years, with the most recent picks being sixth-round selections Ochaun Mathis and Trey Palmer in 2023.

During his 2025 recruitment signing day press conference, Rhule described Robinson as a "first- or second-round draft pick" and gave his blessing to do "whatever you want to do" in regard to the Huskers' bowl game preparations. Robinson and fellow defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher elected to play in the Pinstripe Bowl, leading to a 20-15 Husker victory to end their 2024 campaign 7-6.

The NFL scouting combine would be the next step for Robinson, as bids for the prospect workouts are sent in mid-February. Nebraska has not yet set their 2025 Pro Day schedule, as Robinson would have one final chance to workout in front of NFL scouts and general managers with fellow potential draftees Hutmacher, Tommi Hill, and others.